Gruvelageret

POP UP 2021: MARTIN AND STEVE AT GRUVELAGERET

This summer our owner Steve and Martin, the Head Chef at our sister restaurant Stationen was invited to do an Arctic Pop Up in Flåm at the western part of Norway. In November they invited the locals in Longyearbyen to taste the same menu at Gruvelageret. 9 beautiful courses along with good wine made us really see how excellent Chefs they are, and also how the cooperation between Gruvelageret and Stationen can make new and inspiring menus. We really hope that this is not the last time we see Steve and Martin together in the kitchen at Gruvelageret!

DARK SESASON BLUES 2021: STEINAR ALBRIGTSEN AND MONIKA NORDLI

In the end of October Norway opened up from the pandemic restrictions for a little while and Dark Season Blues Festival was happening in Longyearbyen. We were lucky to host a dinner event where we served several courses accompanied by live music from one of Norways most famous musicians Steinar Albrigsten and his talented wife Monika Nordli. It was so much fun to finally have a full restaurant again.

OCTOBER 2021: SMALAHOVELAG

Even though we due to covid-19 pandemic had some restrictions, we managed to have the years nicest dinner party also in 2021: smalahovelag, where we sing, drink and eat sheep head!

Arrival of the Fossil Hunters

Arrival of the Fossil Hunters!

Norway most prominent paleontologist, Jørn Hurum, has been 11 summers at Svalbard digging up dinosaur fossils. At the return of his 11^th season he visited us at Gruvelageret, doing a lecture about their project and showed pictures from the latest season not yet released. Gruvelageret was sold out days in advance, and after the lecture we served a three course dinner and held the bar open till 03.00. We even had a guest Chef; our own owner Steve entered the kitchen for the occasion!

Expanding the Kitchen Into Mine 3

This season we cooperated with Basecamp Spitsbergen on catering at the location of the old mine number 3, a mine that was in use in Longyearbyen until 1996. Here we catered lunches and several course dinners for groups up till a 100 guests! Since we always love to show guests the coal mining history of Svalbard combined with a good meal, what better place to expand the kitchen to?

Polar Jazz Concert with Numa Edema

Great concert at Gruvelageret during the Polar Jazz Festival; the Norwegian folk/soul singer Numa Edema entertained over 100 guests. They had walked up to Gruvelageret with flaming torches lighting up the road in the dark, since it is no sunlight in the beginning of February in Longyearbyen. The concert was warm, heartfelt and Numas voice suited Gruvelageret in a way which we will always remember.

Spitsbergen Lutefisk Association 10 Year Anniversary

Norway is proud of its lutefisk tradition and in 2015 the local association Spitsbergen Lutefisk Association celebrated their 10 year anniversary. We were proud to host this jubilee, and also to have the Norwegian TV-host and journalist Torkjell Berulfsen to entertain and share his knowledge for the liquor that goes hand in hand with lutefisk – Norwegian aquavit.

Kazakhstan Party

In April we hosted a party for a delegation from Kazakhstan that used Longyearbyen as a start-off to visit the North Pole. After the return they wanted to show the local community in Longyearbyen their traditions, and rented Gruvelageret. Here they served us their traditional dish, horse meat and goat hoves, with a lot of snacks and liquor to go with. They had decorated Gruvelageret with blankets and cushions in Kazakh colors, and brought gifts to everyone; hats, shoes, horse whips and traditional costumes. We will never forget this absolutely crazy, fun and amazing evening!